Book Review: Falcon at the Court of Siam

by Lang Reid

This week’s book is truly a local production. Printed and
published in Thailand by Asia Books and written by well known expat resident,
John Hoskin, Falcon at the Court of Siam (ISBN 974-8303-52-7) was released last
year and deals with the life and times in old Siam.

Author Hoskin is a well respected researcher and this shows
in the attention to detail that he throws at the pages. It is difficult to
fully grasp the situation that is being described as occurring in the 1680’s
- over 300 years ago. To write about your own family 300 years ago would be
onerous enough. Hoskin does this for a long departed society in an alien land!

The book takes the form of a diary or journal, complete with
dates at the commencement of alternate short chapters. It is this time scale
that makes you sit back and take note. Hoskin’s use of the English language
is noteworthy, in that the principal characters speak unadulterated English.
Not classical "Ye Olde English" or modern hip-talk, but just a simple
undated English, giving the book’s tales an immediacy that contrasts so well
against the chronological dating.

The contents are not a superficial overview of times gone
by, but include such concepts as promulgated by Phaulkon when asked what his
salary should be when offered a position with the Siamese government,
"Lesser men might name their price, but for me there is no sum that will
satisfy. Only power. Have that and the other is either limitless or
meaningless."

In the end, it is left to the reader to decide whether
Constantine Phaulkon was a soldier of fortune, an opportunist, a brilliant
strategist or someone who was stupid enough to become a martyr to a cause that
was not his in the first place. In the best traditions of thrillers, there is a
denouement to help you decide!

The review copy was supplied by Bookazine, and should be
available at all major booksellers. It was on the shelves with an RRP of 425
baht. To meld history and fiction in a credible way is not an easy task, but
Hoskin has done this with great literary dexterity. I was glad to see that he
had not attempted to give his Siamese people’s speech an "Asian"
affect, as I believe that "Thaiglish" is demeaning for all concerned.

The book stands out through Hoskin’s ability to conjure up
credible situations to fit in with the known historical facts. He is actually
so adept at this, that you begin to wonder if somewhere along the line he had
managed to come across Phaulkon’s real diary. It is only when you think again
and remember the sacking of Ayutthaya around 80 years after the Phaulkon era
that destroyed all written records, and that the Greek Phaulkon, even if he did
keep a journal, would most probably not have written it in English anyway!

I found it a totally fascinating book and one that should
keep any student of Thai history in discussion material for many years. Well
written and researched and deserves to be well read!

Music CD Reviews: Ian Hunter “All of the good ones are taken”

by Mott the Dog

5 Stars *****

This album has got class written all over it. Recorded in
1983, two years after his previous album "Short Back and Sides", it
smacks of an artist at the top of his powers, who has already been there, done
that, got the T-shirt, and was allowing the rest to try and catch up. That is
not to say that every effort was not put into this collection, in fact, all the
tracks were written by Ian Hunter with the exception of the two written with
long time mates Mark Clarke and Hilly Michaels. In similar vein to Hunter’s
more thoughtful work like "All American Alien Boy", Ian made lyrical
assaults on several controversial topics including US television, government
nuclear policy, and the recent Falklands war.

Hunter’s usual partner in crime, Mick Ronson, was at the
time off involved in other projects; however, he did contribute to one track,
‘Death and Glory Boys’, some absolutely shattering lead guitar. Hunter has
always had the luxury that most of his best mates also happened to be some of
the leading lights in Rock ‘n’ Roll. So the main band was made up of Mark
Clarke (ex-Rainbow, Greenslade, Tempest, to name but a few) on bass; Hilly
Michaels (ex- Little Feat) on drums; long time sideman Tommy (Maddog) Mandel on
keyboards; and filling in Mick Ronson’s mighty plectrum work, Robbie Altar.
When you add to this some astounding saxophone work by the mighty Clarence
Clemmons from the E Street Band, you are left with a very fine pedigree stamped
on the recordings.

The album opens with the first of two versions of the title
track, a fast and slow version were recorded to open and close the album. The
faster one being used as a single by record label Columbia to promote the album
in the States. ‘Every Step of the Way’ follows, which is a lovely smutty
dumb love song. Next song is ‘Fun’ and it is self explanatory. It was later
covered by the Monkees on their" Pool it" album. ‘Speechless’ was
the first of two songs on the album about the absurdity of television.

"Every time I watch you

Gotta switch you off

You surely can’t be serious

Every time I see you

I just can’t believe

You go below ridicules"

‘Speechless’ was also covered this time by "Status
Quo" on their 1986 LP ‘In the Army Now’. ‘Death ‘n’ Glory’ was
inspired by the Falklands War, but could be about the futility of any war, where
the young are called out to fight and die for reasons that they don’t really
understand.

‘That Girl is Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is pretty
self-explanatory and is the good time sister song to Hunter’s earlier hit ‘Once
Bitten Twice Shy’. It would make a good soundtrack to any night down Pattaya
Walking Street. ‘Something’s going on’ was of far more substantial matter,
dealing with the uncertainties of nuclear war and the power that a small
minority of people have over the majority of us. Television comes under the
microscope once more in ‘Captain Void ‘n’ the Video Jets’, only this
time in a comical manner, perhaps implying that the writer himself was spending
a little too much time in front of the Google box instead of the Rock ‘n’
Roll lifestyle.

The album draws to a close in mellow fashion with ‘Seeing
Double’, a song of desperations living out your life in these modern times,
and then the closing version of the title track, with some of the best work
Clarence Clemmons has ever laid down, and yes, I include anything he has done
with Springsteen.

Anyway, how can anyone possibly dislike an album, when half
way through the song ‘Fun’ Hunter implores his audience with "I wanna
party - Get down - Boogie". What more do you want?

It is about time the record company got hold of the master
tapes from 1983, re-mastered them, and added a few of the extra tracks that were
recorded at the time, with new liner notes and not the ones taken from the vinyl
edition, which are now so unreadable small without a magnifying glass,
especially as there is Ian Hunter’s poem in tribute to Guy Stevens on the
inside sleeve in its original hand written form.

But that does not detract from the marvellous music provided
on this timeless collection of Rock ‘n’ Roll.